If we search on Google leadership We will find an endless list of features:
10 qualities of a leader; 16 characteristics of leadership; 12 necessary leadership qualities; 6 characteristics of an effective leader; and endless other links that provide anywhere from 3 to 101 important traits for leaders.
So what do we do with all this?
One problem is that some of these lists confuse traits with skills, but even when we remove skills from the list, we’re still left with a bigger problem: These lists assume that leadership is about gathering the right traits. But leadership doesn’t work like that.
- Leadership traits do not exist in isolation; they interact with each other.
- The same mix of leadership qualities that creates success in one situation creates problems in another.
- We can be strong in some traits and weak in others.
- And no list can tell us when to build on our strengths or when to pull back.
This is because leadership is not about having the right qualities. It’s about understanding our unique personalities and how to be effective in different contexts.
And our traits are only one aspect of our personalities. We are made up of our intentions, emotions, mind, personality, behavior and character.
Only when we understand ourselves, how these parts of us emerge and connect with our environment and the people in it, can we truly lead effectively. Self-awareness and self-awareness are key traits for everyone else.
Let’s see how it went with one of my clients, Dave.
Case Study: When Leadership Traits Become Blind Spots
Dave asked me if I could help him figure out why two of his senior executives had suddenly left the company. Dave was the CEO of a 2-year-old Valley biotech startup that recently closed a $100 million funding round. An accomplished cardiologist and researcher, Dave pioneered a new way to target medicine to be transported to where it was needed. Innovation in drug delivery meant that Dave and his team were constantly struggling to solve chemical, mechanical, material and technological challenges.
As a clinical psychologist and leadership coach, I begin these commitments by first seeking the principal’s perspective on the problem. Dave, not anyone shy away from his thoughts, he did not know why they left, but they thought that it had something to do with his leadership. My next step was to interview 8 of Dave’s senior executives about his leadership and their thoughts on recent departures.
When interviewing CEOs, my questions usually fall into 3 categories:
- What are the unusual gifts of CEOs that make them successful leaders?
- What are their behaviors that hinder success?
- What advice do you have for a manager?
Dave’s team described him as brilliant, creative, warm, caring, humble, determined, curious, responsible and passionate about his mission. They also said, “He’s too much of a doctor and doesn’t always know when to act like a CEO,” and “He’s humble until he’s not, and then he’s arrogant, so people left the company.” Dave possessed many of the qualities associated with a successful leader, but is successful leadership as a doctor different from a CEO, and can one be both humble and defiant? Dave’s team certainly thought so.
I needed more information to determine how I could help Dave.
And then I saw it.
As Dave and his team tackled difficult problems, he asked questions and listened carefully to the answers. Everyone on the team was enjoying the intellectual challenge, working together to solve the problem, and then suddenly Dave would announce that he had the answer, thank everyone, and move on with his day. I’ve seen how Dave sometimes acts more like a doctor than a CEO, and how he can be both humble and arrogant.
The very qualities that made Dave a successful leader—his accountability, curiosity, and determination—became overused strengths, and people felt he was an arrogant and intimidating boss.
When Dave treated a patient in crisis, his responsibility and determination were optimized for the benefit of the patient. But as CEO, Dave also had the responsibility of being the answer and decision maker, leaving his team feeling left out and fired.
Essential leadership reading
When I helped Dave see how his strengths were hindering his success as a CEO, he was able to identify when it came to sharing responsibilities and decision making He achieved the best results with his team. Knowing when he wanted to stop asking his team questions made Dave aware that he was in danger of becoming arrogant. He needed to realize that his leadership qualities often worked for him, but his future success depended on his ability to recognize when those same qualities were working against his success.
Self-Awareness in Leadership: The Key to Managing Traits and Avoiding Blind Spots
So, do successful leaders have certain characteristics? Obviously, it’s not that simple.
First, there are certainly traits associated with successful leadership. And many leaders have traits that are consistently expressed throughout their careers. But no trait is universally effective.
Leaders who are aware of their strengths and default behaviors can recognize when these traits are unhelpful and when they become leadership blind spots. With this awareness, they can be strategic about when to express these gifts and when to withdraw, and experiment with different leadership behaviors.
